deracinate

UK: dɪˈræsɪneɪt | US: dɪˈræsəneɪt

Definition
  1. vt. to uproot or remove from a native environment

  2. vt. to eradicate or destroy completely

Structure
de <remove>rac <root>inate <verb suffix>
Etymology

Derived from Latin dērādīcīnāre ("to tear up by the roots"), combining dē- (indicating removal) + rādīx (root). The morpheme rac preserves the Latin root rādīx in modified form, while -inate is a verb-forming suffix. The word vividly conveys the forceful extraction of something from its foundational source, whether literally (plants) or metaphorically (traditions).

Examples
  1. The invasive species was deracinated to protect the local ecosystem.

  2. Colonial policies often sought to deracinate indigenous cultures.

  3. War can deracinate entire communities from their ancestral lands.

  4. The gardener deracinated the weeds to prevent regrowth.

  5. Modernization risks deracinating traditional values.